Topic: Nintendo 2004/2005

[MegaJbomb]

The following is my personal prediction of what Nintendo is planning on doing in the next couple of years.  I would like to see what you guys think. (Can I be close?  Can I be dreaming? Let me know!)

I believe Nintendo's going to be making some major changes on it's next consoles. First with the Gameboy Cube and then with N5.  What's the Gameboy Cube, you may ask?  Well, as you know for right now, Sony will be releasing it's first portable console the PSP. With all it's specification, it could maybe/probably do some damage to the Gameboy Advanced.  What is Nintendo's secret weapon against the PSP?  Well many may think that it will be a Gameboy with the same or maybe a little better graphic engine then the PSP (supposedly a portable PS1).  Well, personally, I believe that Nintendo's going to go a step or two further and make the Gamecube portable and actually market it as the next Gameboy.  Hence, the Gameboy Cube.  The Gameboy Cube basically is a portable Gamecube/Gameboy Player.  So that means that not only will it play Gamecube games, but every GBA/GBC/GB game also.  It will also have that Motorola developed Wireless GBA Link (bundled soon with Pokemon Fire Red and Water Blue) built-in.  It will also have a built-in ethernet adapter for (lan) multiple console linking.  Now don't you think that Sony is almost kicking itself in releasing its PSP if Nintendo made the Gameboy Cube?.....  And now onto the N5. I just checked on BestBuy.com that a 40 gig harddrive is roughly $80.  This may be a little bit more than what it could really be if I looked hard enough.  So what does that have to do with anything?  Well ever since the N64, Nintendo's been working on disc drives.  From the 64dd to the SD Adapter.  I believe that this will be Nintendo's next either game format or harddrive. And by it's launch date a 40 gig harddrive should be worth $40 or $50 bucks. Two ethernet ports one for online and the other for connectivity with the Gameboy Cube.  Graphics are of course going to be dramatically better but I don't think it will be a very big concern with Nintendo as graphics are going to be dominated by gameplay in next console wars.  Wireless controllers, four ports of course.  Console itself will be as small as possible with a port for the flat panel screen that was shown at a game expo sometime ago.

This is what I believe Nintendo is going to be doing next year and beyond.  Well I'm almost positive that the Gameboy Cube will come true well dreaming.  What do you guys think?  

[Termin8Anakin]

you know, i wouldn't be surprised if the home console market somehow merged with the handheld market.
The progression of technology makes things so small, and it might even be possible in the future, say 5 years, to play Gamecube-esqe games on a Game Boy SP sized machine.
I mean, the PSP is supposedly more powerful than the PS2. That is an indication right there.
If it continues to be handhelds and home consoles, it is basically a market of two consoles for EACH company, therefore really making it 6 consoles (assuming MS releases their own handheld), which is a real hassle for gamers and game developers alike.

[KDR_11k]

Termin8, the PSP is supposed to be between the PS/1 and PS2 in terms of performance, Sony inflated the PS2's specs even more than the PSP's.

[NintendosFinest]

Thats not a bad idea.

The Cds are small, developers are already familiar with the hardware, and Nintendo doesnt have to do anything with the hardware except shrink it.

I say Nintendo should do it, and after that, put all focus on the N5.

[Ocarina Blue]

Although it's a good idea, I think there are several pitfalls in the Gameboy Cube. First of all, if it could play GC games, then it would have to have all the buttons that the GC controller, this could be uncomforable in a handheld system. Secondly, all the text in GC games would appear way to small, and the screen would have to have the same proportions of a TV screen. Thridly, having space for both cartriges and GC discs, aswell as the hardware requred to read them, would make it bigger than it needed to be. Fourthy (is that even a word?), Nintendo already is selling the GCs at a loss at 100USD, it would be much more expensive to cram everything into something that's just a little bit bigger than a GBA. Lastly, this would cannibalise the sales of the N5 to some extent. I know I would certanly hold off buying an N5 until a price drop or so if I could still be buying top qualitly games for my GC when it was launched. That's just what I can see though, who knows what would happen?

[alvinaloy]

I have mixed feelings about it. Gamecube uses a disk for games. Disks means that there has to be some kind of anti-shock mechanism in place or you can forget about it being a handheld. Yes, the PSP's UMD is a disk too, but it has a cartridge-like housing, much alike the MD. Please such anti-shock mechanisms means needing memory, and memory would compromise the handheld size.

[bmfrosty]

Infeasable at current.  They'd have to either get the power consumption way down or there would have to a significant increase in battery technology.  Either way at current you'd be getting a max of 2-3 hours play out of one charge.  Maybe in 7 years it would be feasable.   What we're more likely to see is a gameboy that runs at multiple clock speeds, but with the same processor that's used today.  Possibly something with an add on disc system that plugs into the cart slot.  And of course we can always hope for two more buttons.

-bmfrosty

[MegaJbomb]

I believe that if Nintendo had the right company to manufacture such a device, the Gameboy Cube could be possible in the near future.  About the button layout, I don't think it would be that awful.  I mean look at the iQue player that'll be released in China.  Yeah it doesn't have a screen but I think that if you take a look at the Gamecube controller, it's really not that big.  Text shouldn't really be a problem.  The gameboy player may need to show games sharper to allow text to be visible the way it should be.  The hardware and the slots for GC games and GBA games shouldn't really cause too much of a space problem.  I mean look at some of the new camcorders.  They have built-in dvd burners and slots for memory cards and all those other connections for input and output.  The price of the console should be a little more if not the same as a regular Gamecube price.  I really don't think it would cannibalise the sales of the N5.  I think it'd be a great way of Nintendo extending the Gamecubes life while still keeping up with technology and competition with the N5.  Remember Miyamoto said that he could see the Gamecube go for an 8 year lifespan.  What better way of doing it then making the Gameboy Cube?  About anti-shock issues, come on, almost all of the portable cd-players that are out now are anti-shock.  I don't see this as being an issue at all, unless you drop the Gameboy Cube or something. About power consumption, again camcorders and portable cd-players don't need a car battery to work.  If it really had to, the Gameboy Cube could possibly go for 2 litium ion batteries if it really need more power.  I doubt that it would need more than that.  I'd really like to make a mock-up of it but I suck with Photoshop.  But if anyone's willing to make a mock-up, I'd use pics of Gamecube with a Gameboy player, shape it into an sp and sort out the slots for the different games discs and button layout and a screen and see if it'd really be that bad...

[kirby_killer_dedede]

Well, the Gameboy Cube thing's good for laughs, I can give you that much...

[ultrafamicom]

quote:
"Well many may think that it will be a Gameboy with the same or maybe a little better graphic engine then the PSP (supposedly a portable PS1)."

MegaJbomb, the PSP *far* exceeds the spec of a Playstation1.

nobody has ever said PSP was a portable PS1, exept those ignorant of the situation or just making it up.

PSP is inbetween PS1 and PS2 in terms of overall power.  PSP is far more powerful than PS1, but *LESS* powerful than PS2. yet, PSP has certain graphics rendering features that even the PS2 does not have.  but PSP is not more powerful than PS2, or even as powerful.

the next Gameboy would need GameCube performance to rival and surpass (slightly) the PSP.    

[manunited4eva22]

No one knows jack about how powerful PSP is in terms of anything.  They have said what the are thinking its power will be, but thats about it.  Besides, PS2 is several times slower than gamecube in its capabilites so to say that GBA2 or what not has to be more powerful than gamecube would be just wrong.

[Swordsplay]

I heard that the next system will be the phantom, and in order to get your games, you download it from the net (which is not virus free), and boom! You have a game. This system is not meant to last and will definitely have many faults, since it is basicly all computer based with one board (instead of many like an actual computer) made out of the cheapest materials.  Personally, i rather have a system that lasts then a system with many faults, wont last long, and will eventually get a virus, ill stick to the cube.

[thecubedcanuck]

" I heard that the next system will be the phantom, and in order to get your games, you download it from the net (which is not virus free), and boom! You have a game. This system is not meant to last and will definitely have many faults, since it is basicly all computer based with one board (instead of many like an actual computer) made out of the cheapest materials. Personally, i rather have a system that lasts then a system with many faults, wont last long, and will eventually get a virus, ill stick to the cube."

and you heard this where?

[Swordsplay]

Multiple gaming magazines, looking it up on the net, a friend that did a research project on video games and nintendo systems.  From 8 bit cartridge pong to computer based nintendo systems that are built not to last, why do you think they are coming out with brand new systems faster and faster?

[KDR_11k]

Ah, yes... The Phantom. I still wonder, is it a scam or money laundering?

[kirby_killer_dedede]

The Phantom is in no way associated with Nintendo.  Last I heard, it had a fall 2003 launch, yet I have yet to see it.  And you don't do it over the Internet, actually; you download it straight from a database on a "Phantom" TV channel, where you can use your Phantom to pay for and download games.  I'm not the slightest bit interested; it never ceases to amuse me how many of us gamers are lazy asses that the gaming world had to come down to this.

[Polemistis]

The Phantom is being made by Infinium Labs. I think it was suppost to be shown off at some tech show in 2003, but got cancelled.

[Swordsplay]

Instead of the name and look of the phantom, nintendo has other ideas, but havent decided on what to pick.  Here they are:

Pyramid
Y - Box
Phantom
Virtual sphere

The phantom and pyramid out of those code names sound the coolest.  I wonder if they might consider bringing the name of the next sytem to be dolphin back.  Ever heard of the dolphin?  That's what gamecube was gonna be called, untill they changed it.  They might bring it back.

[KDR_11k]

How about the "All-Seeing Pyramid"? With a built-in Webcam that reports any suspicious behaviour to the feds?

[rogue_gamecube]

This is what I just said in another thread. The idea of using HD's instead of discs is stupid, maybe AFTER the N5 but a HD based system won't be able to be backwards capable with the GC, at least not easily. Besides, the N5 games will sell very well and if the GBA2 is going to basically be a portable GC, then you'll be able to play it at home on the N5 just as easily. Toss in a multiplayer that you can use online through the N5 for the GBA2, both will become necessary. And this cuts any stupid "stations" that people would have to go to to go online (that's a mouthful). Nintendo simply needs to understand that not "everyone" can afford these consoles, and most that can already have some form of internet. Just make the console its own server and maintain a few simple "architectural" servers. Damnity damn, so good, but no chance it happening... *sigh*

Once again, my genius is wasted. Maybe someone at Redmond may read this... maybe...